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Hollywood stars lead charity drive

By Anthony Boadle and Christine Kearney |
January 18, 2010

Hollywood stars lead charity drive

Haiti's devastating earthquake has moved Hollywood and pop music stars to lead a rally for disaster relief donations and open their own wallets, led by Haitian hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean, MiNDFOOD reports.

Hollywood stars lead charity drive

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were the first to reach out to Haiti by donating US$1 million from their foundation to Doctors Without Borders, which has been tending to victims of the quake that demolished buildings in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, on Tuesday. Tens of thousands are feared dead.

Doctors Without Borders said that actress Sandra Bullock had also donated US$1 million.

Madonna donated US$250,000 through Partners in Health and said in a statement she was praying for the Haitian people.

“I can’t imagine the terrible pain and suffering they are experiencing,” she said. “I urge all my friends and fans around the world to join me collectively to match my contribution or give in any way you can.”

Jean launched a texting campaign, calling on fans to donate US$5 each to his Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund charged to their cell phone bills by texting “Yele” to 501501.

He raised more than US$1.9 million for the disaster relief effort and is in Haiti “giving aid and assessing the situation,” according to his website, www.yele.org.

Actor George Clooney will host a commercial-free telethon called “Hope for Haiti” presented by MTV next week to raise funds for victims of Tuesday’s earthquake, the music network said.

The event will be in Los Angeles and New York and be broadcast on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, HBO and all MTV Network channels next Friday. Clooney will be joined by Jean and other pop music and movie stars.

Latina pop singer Shakira asked her fans for donations to help rebuild Haiti to be channeled through UNICEF and Jean’s foundation.

TEARS AND DONATIONS

Actress Alyssa Milano, a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, used her blog on The Huffington Post to challenge US corporations to match her donation. She said the funds would go to buy medical supplies, tarpaulins, food and water kits for Haiti.

“I cried and then I did the only thing I could do … I wrote a check to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF for US$50,000,” she wrote.